Inner Flame
by Lord Jareth
Summary: This is sort of a mirror to the anime series, but has little to nothing in common with it, save the non-original characters. It'll be long.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:  
  
This is by no means a cheerful story. Most of it is sad, or dark. Even violent, a little   
disturbing, or just very, very strange. All of this came out of my head, and it's styled   
accordingly. Don't read it if you don't like that kind of story. Don't read it if you can't   
handle intricate plot, which I've attempted to add. If you still read this story despite my   
warnings, then, well… read at your own risk. Don't flame me for adding humor that isn't   
at all funny. It's my story.  
  
Disclaimer: Except for Jareth and Zurath (or any other of my original characters, you'll   
know who they are) none of the characters are mine. All of the monster species (save a   
couple that I've made up, and I tell you when a species doesn't exist) are ©Tecmo (I   
don't know what year). You've just read the disclaimer. Congratulations, you're literate.  
  
  
Chapter 1: Encounters.  
  
  
"Unlock!" A tall, cloaked figure pushed down the button in the shrine. A light flashed   
and a monster slowly began to appear out of the disk. As it took form, it slowly became   
recognizable as a tiny Crimson Eyed (Naga/Monol). Overjoyed at being released, the   
ungainly creature bolted for the door.   
  
Night had fallen hours ago, and it was dark and cold outside. The moon was a thin sliver   
and the stars were mostly visible, as there were no clouds in the sky, and the whole place   
was silent. Eerie, really. That didn't stop the little Crimson Eyed who was looking for an   
adventure. The world was out there waiting for him, and he was by no means expecting   
to be denied it.  
  
Unfortunately, his expectations were not to be fulfilled.  
  
"Not so fast." The cloaked figure moved towards the monster in heavy, quick strides and   
gripped the back of its head, stopping its sudden flight. "Where do you think you're   
going?"  
  
The monster didn't answer. The figure smirked mirthlessly beneath its hood. "Thought as   
much. You're my monster now, little one. My name's Jareth. Lord Jareth to you. I'll call   
you… Zurath. It's a good name, don't you think?" The Crimson Eyed—Zurath—said   
nothing. "Now follow me."  
  
Zurath was too stunned to do otherwise. He followed Jareth out of the shrine and over a   
long, twisted path that diverged from the main road many times, and often seemed to be   
nowhere but in Jareth's head. They walked for half an hour or so, neither of them paying   
attention to the elapsed time, until they reached a small cave.   
  
Jareth gestured grandly at the sparsely furnished cave."This is my little castle, kid. Make   
yourself at home. You're going to be here a long time, if everything is as uneventful as   
the rest of my life hasn't been." With that, the sarcastic, angry Jareth collapsed on a pallet   
on one side of the cave and slept.  
  
Zurath looked around him. He felt like he'd known forever that he'd be unlocked and   
trained by a human, but there was something a little strange about this one. Were all   
humans insane, or was this Jareth an exception to the rule of an otherwise mellow   
species. With a sigh, he curled up into a ball in the corner of the cave and slept as well.  
  
  
The next morning…  
  
  
Jareth was awakened early the next morning by a persistent jumping nearby. "Are you   
awake yet? Wake up, human. I have some questions for you." It was Zurath. "Such as…   
why did you name me without my consent? Although Zurath isn't bad as names go. And   
are you, er… a male or female? That cloak hides everything about you. It makes me   
nervous."  
  
"I named you Zurath because it's a good name, and because I have a superiority complex.   
Change it if you like, I don't care. And I'm a female. So you know. I'm sorry the cloak   
makes you nervous, it makes me too hot, but when I'm wearing it I can pass for a normal   
human, so I'm not the target of large mobs and riots and such.  
  
"Although about what I said yesterday… you're not really my monster. Nobody can own   
a monster, I've learned that much. It's stupid to even try. If you don't want to stay here…   
then feel free to leave. I won't stop you."  
  
"I think I'll stay," Zurath said quietly, considering the possibilities. Jareth was a little   
strange, and scary, and most likely prone to violence, but she seemed relatively   
intelligent, and clearly knew *something* about monsters. "You say you're different…   
How are you different? What sets you and all the other humans apart?"  
  
Jareth sighed and stood, throwing back her cloak's hood, revealing her face. She had a   
long face, solid jaw, angular eyes and high cheekbones, framed by a heavy mane of sleek   
silver hain and accented by icy blue, almost-black eyes. "Do you really want to know   
that? Although I suppose you wouldn't be one to have a problem."  
  
"I'd say you're right. So what is it? If I'm stuck living with you, then I at least want to   
know who you are."  
  
"I can live with that." Jareth pulled off the cloak and stood before Zurath in her shirt and   
heavy trousers. Two long, slender, bat-like wings protruded from her back. "This. I'm   
half-Pixie, whether you believe that or not."  
  
"Well…" Zurath considered. "There are plenty of *ahem* elements of the Pixie that you   
quite clearly DON'T have."   
  
Jareth glared. "And I'm glad of that. They just get in the way. That's the human half   
showing through there. I take after my father on most accounts. Appearance and brute   
strength are two things I got from him that I'm not upset about. The others…"  
  
"You don't think well of your father, do you?"  
  
"Not at all. I'll explain later."  
  
********************  
  
A group of about 20 Black Dinos leapt out of hiding at the group. "Geez!" Genki yelled.   
"Don't these guys ever give up?"  
  
"This is your last chance!" the Captain Black Dino roared. "Give us the magic stone and   
the Mystery Disk! Maybe if you do we'll let you live!"   
  
"I've had enough of you guys," Tiger grumbled. "SUPER TORPEDO!" five of the Dinos   
collapsed and turned into Lost Disks.  
  
"Cherry Blossom Blizzard CHI!!" Mocchi shouted, filling the air with deadly petals.   
Suezo leapt out, whacking the Dinos with his tail. Genki kicked one of the Dinos in the   
face, Hare pummeled them with his fists and Golem closed his hands protectively around   
Holly.  
  
The remaining Dinos ran off, but rather than retreating into the forest they turned and   
began to pelt the team with Fireballs. One of the fireballs hit Tiger and he fell to the   
ground, unmoving. "Damn. Should have figured they'd be getting smarter."  
  
A minute later Suezo, Hare, Genki and Mocchi joined him. Golem used his body to   
shield the team from the fire but he couldn't fight back for fear of leaving his friends   
open to attack. Golem slumped to the ground, no longer able to completely withstand the   
onslaught of fire.  
  
"LIGHTNING!!!" balls of lightning flew from the trees and struck the Dinos down.   
When they were all Lost Disks, the attack stopped. Jareth stepped from the trees to   
admire her work.  
  
"You… you saved us." Holly said weakly.  
  
"Don't worry," Jareth replied, "I wasn't trying to. I was simply killing off these…   
pathetic excuses for soldiers. Whether their target was you or someone completely   
different makes no difference to me."  
  
Zurath slithered from the trees. "Are those… *normal* humans?" he asked. Jareth   
nodded slowly. "They don't look so bad. At worst, they'll be nothing more than a   
nuisance."  
  
"Looks can be deceiving." Jareth grumbled, checking to make sure her hood covered her   
face. "You never know just how much trouble they might cause us." She looked the   
group over, first scanning, then scrutinizing each if its members carefully. Her eyes came   
to rest on Holly's dagger. "And from the looks of it, they'll be causing a lot."  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Some Rescuer You Are!  
  
  
Suezo was the first one up. He glared violently at Jareth, a vein beginning to pop out of   
his forehead. "Whadaya mean, a lot of trouble?!"  
  
"Yeah!" Genki joined him, standing on his rollerblades and somehow managing to   
balance. "We don't cause trouble! We're looking for the Phoenix, and we're gonna defeat   
Moo!"   
  
"Well I can hardly say you're doing a good job," Jareth growled, "There is no Phoenix   
here. No Moo either, and even if he was, a bunch of kids couldn't kill him. If you want to   
even come close to finding your Phoenix, you should analyze the disk before unlocking   
it. Because if it isn't the Phoenix…" she looked at Mocchi. "Some monsters will just   
slow you down."  
  
Genki's temper flared, and his posture showed it. "Mocchi doesn't slow us down!" he   
snarled. "He's a great fighter, and one of my best friends! He's probably a better fighter   
than you!"  
  
Jareth smirked. "You've got spunk, kid. Too much if you ask me. Now, would you care   
to test that little remark of yours, or will you admit to speaking irrationally?"  
  
"We can win, chi!" Mocchi shouted, punching the air.  
  
"Very well…" Jareth gave the group a bored glance. "Zurath and I will fight any two of   
you. If we win… I get something that I want from you guys. Your most valuable   
posession, most likely. I like money, though I doubt you have any of that. If we lose…   
I'll give you this." She pulled a fake Mystery Disk from under her cloak.  
  
"A Mystery Disk! All right, Mocchi, let's go!" Genki pulled on his skates and rushed   
forward.  
  
"Cherry Blossom Blizzard, CHI!" The air was suddenly filled with a tornado of the   
deadly petals, all of them aimed at Jareth and Zurath.  
  
"Fire Wall!" Jareth snapped. Fire erupted from her fingertips, destroying the petals as   
they came close to her. "As you can see, you're up against a little more than you   
bargained for." She stepped aside and Zurath took the lead.  
  
"Evil Bomb!" a small ball of energy began to form in Zurath's hands. After a couple of   
seconds it grew very large, flying at Genki and Mocchi and colliding with them,   
detonating and leaving a hole in the ground.  
  
"Genki!" Holly screamed as Genki crashed to the ground.  
  
"And the victory goes to… us." Jareth hardly seemed interested in Genki and Mocchi's   
situation. "I'm impressed with you, Zurath.. You're the first person your age that I've met   
who can fight like that. I knew you'd be good, but I've seen trained soldiers who can't   
pull off an Evil Bomb attack like that. You've got a real future as a fighter."  
  
"It's not… over… yet…" Genki growled, pulling himself to his feet. "This battle… isn't   
over… we'll beat you…"  
  
"You've got determination, kid." Jareth pulled her hood back so everyone could see her   
smirk, and the fact that she hadn't even broken a sweat. "And I respect that to some   
degree. But it takes more than determination to defeat me. Do you really want to keep   
going?" Her voice had gone from arrogant to disdainful. "Give up now… and maybe I'll   
let you live."  
  
"I… never give… up…" Genki gasped.  
  
"Turn Assault!" Zurath shot out from his spot beside Jareth and knocked Genki and   
Mocchi into the air. They crashed to earth at the same time, eyes spiraling.  
  
"Now I know I am the victor," Jareth said lazily. "When the kids recover, you can decide   
on my prize. They're little kids, so I won't kill them. Under any other circumstances I   
will."  
  
  
That evening…  
  
  
"What are we going to give this guy anyway?" Tiger asked the group. "He asked for our   
most valued possession. We can't give him the Magic Stone…"  
  
"For your information," a voice from nearby called, "She does not want your Magic   
Stone." Zurath slithered into the clearing. Everyone flinched. "Don't worry, I won't   
attack you."  
  
"Prove it," Golem snapped.  
  
"I can't." Zurath sighed. "You have my honor as a warrior, but that's all the promise I   
can give you. It's up to you whether or not you'll trust me. I don't expect you to, after   
this afternoon, but I might be able to help you."  
  
"All right, we'll listen to what you have to say." Holly sighed. "We don't have much of a   
choice. We can't think of what to give Jareth."  
  
Zurath shrugged. "If you're at a loss for ideas, just hand over all the cash that you're   
carrying."  
  
"We thought about that," Hare said sadly, "But we're pretty much broke. And if we did   
have money, we'd have spent it on food and a proper place to sleep tonight, and maybe   
medical attention for Genki and Mocchi."  
  
"We don't need medical attention!"  
  
"CHI!!!"  
  
Holly sighed. "Bad patients."  
  
Zurath smiled. "They should be okay, provided they don't get into any more fights for   
about a week."  
  
"I'm FINE!!!!" Genki yelled. "And just to prove it to you, I'm gonna fight her again and   
win, so we can have that Mystery Disk, and not have to give anything up!"  
  
"I've heard of confidence, but you really take it to a new level, Genki." Zurath shook his   
head. "It would be incredibly stupid to fight with Jareth again. You're already in bad   
shape, and she would have no qualms about hurting you even more. She may even kill   
you this time. Believe me, she's more than capable of doing so."  
  
"I'll win. I'll fight her one-on-one so you can't beat me up while she's protecting you. I   
can do it! I know I can!" Genki stood, and Holly sighed.  
  
"Fine. I'll go and get Jareth. But please, boy, don't blame me when Jareth puts you in   
traction. She will, I know it."  
  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Rematch  
  
"The kid wants a rematch." Zurath walked up to Jareth. "What do you think? Is it worth   
it? Just, uh… I wouldn't recommend killing him. It's really not worth it. He's just a little   
kid."  
  
"So?"  
  
"You have no conscience, do you?"  
  
"I have enough. I guess I'll let him live unless he makes me mad about something.   
Maybe even if he doesn't. you know me that well, don't you?"  
  
"So you'll do it, then?"  
  
"What the hell." Jareth cracked her knuckles. "Sure. As if I'm not bored enough already.   
I'll beat him again. Maybe that'll teach him humility."  
  
Zurath led Jareth to the campsite that Genki's friends had set up and Jareth strode up to   
them. "All right, kid. I'll give you a one-on-one rematch, just like you want it. Happy? I   
hope so. I always think it's better to die happy, don't you?"  
  
Genki said nothing, but readied himself to fight. Taking this as readiness, Jareth started   
off the battle with a Shock. The thin bolts of electricity blasted Genki back into a rock.   
Genki pulled himself to his feet and lunged for Jareth, swinging his fist to connect with   
the side of her head. Jareth blinked and retaliated with a solid punch that landed in the   
middle of Genki's chest, putting some distance between them.  
  
Genki lunged forward again, but only to be blasted back by another Shock. Jareth   
smirked as Genki fell to the ground.  
  
"Sonic Blast!" Jareth snapped. The bolts of white light snapped forward from her fingers   
at a blinding speed.  
  
Genki said nothing, but wondered what it was like to die.  
  
"NOOO!!" Holly screamed. She dove for Genki and tackled him out of the way, just as   
the attack landed where he had been a split second ago.  
  
Jareth turned to face Holly. "You keep out of this!" she spat, "You and your friends have   
caused enough trouble for me already! Now get out of my way… this is strictly between   
me and your friend there."  
  
"Jareth, the boy would have been killed. I admire anyone who is so fiercely loyal to their   
friends." Zurath's face was set in a scowl, but his tone was full of admiration. "Given the   
situation, I would have done the same for you. The boy clearly means a great deal to her.   
It just wouldn't be right to kill him."  
  
"Very well then. Thanks to Zurath's request, I will spare your miserable lives. But don't   
get me wrong—you mean nothing to me. You're just another group of idiots who dared   
to challenge me."  
  
"But we're not just another group of idiots." Tiger spoke up. His voice was calm, but his   
eyes were angry. "I won't speak for my companions, but I honestly can't see how   
Zurath—or anyone, for that matter—can stand you."  
  
"I am not cruel to my friends. Only my enemies. You have not proven yourselves worthy   
of my friendship, pup. Your brother, despite working for Moo, is far wiser than you are.   
You should pay more attention to him… that is, when you aren't trying to kill each other.   
How can you travel with those humans? They bring nothing but suffering… and leave   
nothing but destruction in their wake."  
  
"That's not true!!!" with Holly's support, Genki got to his feet. "Humans aren't just   
plague-bringers… they're good creatures. Better than some can be. And you look pretty   
human to me."  
  
Jareth tossed aside her cloak and flexed her wings. "Do I now? I have never met a human   
I could trust. Why should you be any different?" she looked toward Holly. "And you!   
You're just… I don't even want to think about what you are, girl. You aren't just Moo's   
spawn."  
  
Holly was silent.  
  
"I don't even know you, Holly. I've heard all about you, but I don't know you. And I   
know enough to know that I hate you."  
  
"Why do you hate me?"  
  
"Because you are sweet. You're kind, understanding and gentle. You're peaceful and   
quiet. You're tender-hearted and care deeply for others. And in this world, all of those   
things are synonymous with weakness. I despise weakness, Holly. And so I despise you."  
  
Holly ran from the campsite, Genki and Suezo at her heels and the others close behind   
them.  



	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Anger and Remorse  
  
After the group had been gone for some time, Jareth walked out of the cave and toward   
the edge of the forest. She reached it quickly, and soon came to a steep cliff.  
  
"My life seems so worthless… I have no family… no one to be there for me… Zurath too   
young to share my burdens… I want to just close my eyes… and reach inside myself…   
reach into my frozen heart… imagine a time… when I will have true friends… somebody   
I can care about… anyone… but I can't… because that part of me is empty… I never   
knew my mother… my father was so awful I took his life myself…  
  
"I remember a time that I needed no one… so recent… it ended today… how did they   
reach me? Awaken old feelings I had forgotten I possessed? How? And why am I so   
drawn to them? They have no real family… yet they have each other… is that really   
enough?  
  
"That girl… her father is Moo… she has no real family either… and yet… she has her   
friends… and they are her family now. I can't hate them. I can't even try… and gods I'm   
being pathetic. Like I'm trying to write a poem."  
  
A single tear trickled down Jareth's weather-hardened face. She brushed it away quickly,   
perhaps angrily. Yet another tear followed. And another. Soon the tears were pouring like   
the rain that had just begun to fall. She stood there for quite some time, until a voice   
interrupted her.  
  
"Jareth?" It was Zurath. "What's troubling you?"  
  
"I'm fine," she lied. "Just leave me alone for a while. I'll come back a little later, okay? I   
just need to be by myself… and think things through."  
  
"Jareth, you're not fine. I can tell, and I'm not what one would call empathetic. What's   
eating you? You haven't been yourself since those humans came."  
  
"They just… remind me of everything I never had… I guess that's why I can't forgive   
them… I don't like their… well, arrogance… they'll never find the Phoenix and yet they   
think they can… they think they can save the world… and yet it's hopeless… just   
hopeless. Moo is too powerful to defeat. I know that well…" she touched the scar that ran   
from the inner corner of her left eye to the bottom of her jaw. "Perhaps too well…"  
  
"There's only one thing you can do. You have to set things right… before it's too late."   
Zurath looked thoughtful, which was strange for one of his species. "They would sooner   
have you as an ally rather than an enemy. Trust me. You offered them the fake Mystery   
Disk as a prize, didn't you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Give them the real one. You still have it, don't you? It may not have a Phoenix inside,   
but they want Mystery Disks. It increases their forces. It protects them. And it will be a   
symbol of your trust… and proof that you are not an enemy."  
  
"Is that the only way?"  
  
"I'm not sure. I am unfamiliar with human customs."  
  
"I guess you're right. Shame you're mostly Naga. People will think that you're stupid.   
Either that… or they'll say that your intellect was wasted. But I shouldn't change the   
subject. I should better find them before it's too late."  
  
"I know where they are. And if they're not there I'll find them elsewhere. By the way,   
you always speak in fragments as opposed to whole sentences when you're upset. Get out   
of the habit, it'll make it harder for us to tell."  
  
Jareth smiled sadly. "Thanks, kid. I owe you big for that one."  
  
Zurath smiled back. "Actually, it was more of a lucky guess. I've only known you a   
couple of days."  
  
Jareth blinked. "Really? That long?"  
  
Zurath laughed slightly and slithered off. "Follow me, okay?"  
  
**********  
  
"Holly!" Genki yelled as he walked through the forest, looking for his friend. "Hey,   
Holly!" he glared at the ground. "Where is she?" he muttered. "Where could she have   
gone? HOLLY!!"  
  
Holly heard Genki's voice. She knew where he was. He'll find me sooner or later, she   
thought, I just hope he gets here before… who was that… Jareth does. She sighed and   
opened her eyes. She looked up into the branches of the tree she sat beneath. How did she   
know? Holly wondered, brushing a tear from her face, how did she know that Moo was   
my father?   
  
"There you are!" Genki exclaimed. "We've been searching the entire forest looking for   
you." He walked up to Holly and put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. We should leave   
before Jareth comes to collect her prize." With Genki's help, Holly got to her feet. Then   
they walked off to find the rest of their friends.  
  
  
**********  
  
A twig snapped under Jareth's boot. She muttered something under her breath and   
continued to walk. Those kids really got to you, Jareth, she said to herself. You must be   
getting soft after all these years away from humanity. Fool. This should teach you to let   
your guard down. She continued to walk, this time with a blank mind, thinking about   
nothing but following Zurath.  
  



	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Jareth's Story  
  
  
Early the next morning, Genki and his friends tramped through the forest, pretty much   
silently, hoping that Jareth didn't show up. Jareth, however, had other ideas.   
  
After a good solid hour of walking, Genki and his friends reached the edge of the forest.   
"It's good to be in the sun again," Suezo said, trying to be cheerful. The rest of the group   
just nodded.  
  
"Wait." Jareth strode up to the group, her face set in an unreadable expression.  
  
"Didn't you beat Genki badly enough the first two times?" Hare growled. "We don't   
want any more trouble."  
  
"No. Nothing like that." She pulled the Mystery Disk from her bag. "You forgot this."   
  
"I didn't win," Genki said dejectedly. "The disk isn't ours."  
  
"But it is. Go ahead. Take it." She held out the disk. "You need it more than I do. It isn't   
the Phoenix, but it may help you along in your quest." She shook her head slowly. "I   
suggest that if you want it, take it now… before I change my mind."  
  
"How do we know that we can trust you?" Tiger asked suspiciously.   
  
"You don't." Jareth replied bluntly. "Trust isn't about knowing. Just take the disk. I'm   
losing my patience."  
  
Holly walked up nervously to Jareth and took the disk. Jareth said nothing but "There's a   
shrine half a mile up the road." She turned to walk back into the forest.  
  
"Why don't you come with us?" Genki called suddenly.   
  
"…Come with you?" Jareth asked quizzically. "I couldn't."  
  
"Jareth…" Zurath said sternly, slithering from the trees. "Why not? They can clearly use   
your combat skills to an advantage."  
  
"It… wouldn't work…" Jareth said sadly.  
  
"Why not, chi?" Mocchi asked.  
  
Jareth smiled sadly. "It's a long story…"  
  
"We can listen," Genki said. "Just as long as it's not too long."   
  
A grin cracked across Jareth's face. "I'm afraid it might be. What the hell. I'll tell you   
anyway…  
  
"I was always interested in Moo and the mystery surrounding him. Maybe it was that that   
made me so susceptible to his control. You see, when Moo was unlocked, I knew it the   
instant it happened. Call it a sort of sixth sense. I could tell where he was for some reason   
and thus tracked him down with ease. My anger at my surroundings helped to spur me   
on, as well. You see, my father was a normal human—as normal as a human can be,   
anyway—but my mother was a pixie. I was the only one of my kind, and because of that   
everyone around me hated me. Even my father. When I found Moo, he had not yet come   
to power. I was sort of a sidekick to him… his second-in-command, even after he had   
grown strong.   
  
"Moo is the closest thing I've had to a family. He helped me to seek out those who   
tormented me at one point in my life and destroy them. I was unknown to many, but   
those who knew of me feared me as much as they did Moo himself.  
  
"And so, it was like that for ages. Destroying towns, and killing their inhabitants…   
turning the monsters into members of our own… that was my life. And the saddest part   
is, I loved it. I was as devoted to my job as one could get.  
  
"I was there when your hometown was destroyed, Holly. And I was the one who sent   
Naga and his troops. I think that was really the reason that I quit my job. I finally saw the   
suffering that your friends endured to protect you. You see, Moo and I both knew where   
you were. We could have had you killed. That was when something inside me snapped. It   
finally got through to me that what I was doing was… wrong. I never thought that I   
would see someone so respectable turn against his own flesh and blood. It could have   
been the reason that he didn't kill you… that somewhere deep inside him; he was still   
your father.  
  
"That night showed me that I was set apart from my colleagues. I was different from   
them because I did not hate. Yet I remain tied to Moo. Even now, I know all that happens   
to him. We are linked together… until I find a way to break the chains…"  
  
"That's some story," Zurath said when Jareth finished. "I have to admit, I'm pretty   
impressed. How do you feel?"  
  
"Great," was Jareth's cold response. "Though you most likely won't be able to tell,   
knowing how great I've been at projecting my emotions in the past."  
  
"Yeah," Tiger snapped. "We could tell."  
  
"Oh, shut up." Jareth glared.  
  
"No fighting, chi!" Mocchi shouted, stepping between them. "We have to fight baddies,   
not each other!"  
  
A ghost of a smile touched Jareth's face for a second, then it disappeared. "All right. I'll   
go with you kids. It seems you'll need all the help you can get, since you won't be   
dissuaded. Even though it's impossible to win."  
  
"Then I go too." Zurath pulled himself up, trying to make himself look taller, and   
promptly fell over. "Oww… that hurt. But anyway, no matter where you guys go and   
what you do, I'm with Jareth."  
  
"And… don't talk about my past. It's strictly confidential information." Jareth glared   
around at everyone. "Got it?"  
  
"Got it." Everyone in the group nodded at Jareth, and they all began to walk again, their   
spirits decidedly higher.  
  



	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Stormy Relations  
  
  
"Unlock!" Genki shouted, pushing the button in the shrine and concentrated hard. Red   
lights danced above the spinning disk and slowly began to take shape. The form slowly   
became recognizable as that of a sort of humanoid creature. As it became fully formed,   
the monster became a Durahan. But this wasn't a purebred Durahan, or even a standard   
hybrid. Its white and gold armor glittered, despite the weak light in the shrine. It was very   
clearly a Paladin (Durahan/Gali- please note that in the actual Monster Rancher 2 video   
game, Durahan and Gali are incompatible… which really sucks if you ask me), one of the   
legendary but untrained monsters. The young Paladin leapt down from the shrine and   
swung his sword a few times.   
  
"So you're the one who unlocked me?" he asked sarcastically. "I suppose I should thank   
you."  
  
"You remind me of someone I know," Zurath told the young monster severely, "And I   
don't think it's her good points that you highlight."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" the Paladin snapped.  
  
"It means that you're a cynical jerk who doesn't know the meaning of gratitude," Zurath   
replied. "Among other things. I thought Paladins were supposed to be pure and good and   
whatnot."  
  
"Let's be realistic here," the paladin grumbled. "Nobody's perfectly pure and good and   
whatnot. Nobody's even close."  
  
"Can't you even try to be a little nicer?" Genki demanded. "We unlocked you, so you   
should at least show us a little courtesy!"  
  
"No." the monster said bluntly, "I can't try to be nicer. I don't even want to.   
Understand?"  
  
"Yes," Jareth's booming bass voice called from the door. "Even if they don't understand,   
I do. You don't have to be nice."  
  
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Holly asked, concerned. "If he doesn't learn how to   
act properly, he could get into trouble."  
  
"Then you guys can get me out of whatever trouble I get into," the Paladin said deftly.   
"I'm going with you guys. Okay?" he smirked at them.  
  
"Can we stop you?" Tiger grumbled.  
  
"No," Paladin said simply. "You can't stop me. I'm coming whether you like it or not."  
  
"Well, if you're coming, the least we can do is see if you're a good fighter," Hare said.   
"Fight with me. If I deem you worthy, you can stay."  
  
"I accept your challenge, Mr. Hare," Paladin said smoothly. "I would be glad to battle   
you. But even if you don't like my fighting, I'm still coming."  
  
"Dragon Kick!" Hare screamed, leaping at Paladin with his neat flaming foot technique.  
  
Paladin leapt aside. "Thunderbolt!" he shouted, blasting Hare with powerful bolts of   
lightning.  
  
Hare leapt up as soon as the attack was done, and charged at Paladin, swinging his fists.   
Paladin dodged the majority of the blows, but everyone could tell that he was getting   
tired.  
  
It all happened too fast for anyone to see, but the next thing anyone knew, Paladin was on   
the ground. Hare, who was about five yards away, smirked in a satisfied way. "Guess I'm   
the winner, then?"  
  
"No," Paladin hissed from his place on the ground. "You haven't even come close to   
winning. Rush Slash!" he leapt up and ran towards Hare, bringing his sword down hard   
across his adversary's body.  
  
For a few seconds, everything seemed to be frozen. Paladin's sword was still wet with the   
drops of blood that should have fallen to the ground. Then the moment snapped. Hare fell   
to the ground, a huge gash across his chest. The bright silver blade of Paladin's sword   
was stained by Hare's dark red blood.  
  
Jareth was the first one to react. She walked over to Hare and looked at him closely.   
"We've got to get him to a hospital," she said grimly. "If we don't do something soon,   
this hare is going to die." She turned to Suezo. "Suezo, we need you to take a look   
around. See which way the nearest town is… you know."  
  
Before Suezo could respond, Golem grabbed him and hurled him into the air. Suezo   
twirled around a few times, before crashing back to earth. "You've really… got… to   
work… on your… timing… Golem…" he said in his usual pain-induced stupor.  
  
Golem palmed the back of his neck and sweated in an embarrassed sort of way. "Sorry…   
I'm working on it."   
  
"The town's that way," Suezo said, pointing east with his tail. "Can you carry me? I don't   
think I can walk…"  
  
"Right," Jareth snapped. "Let's go."  
  
As the group walked in the direction that Suezo had indicated, raindrops began to fall.   
They fell harder and faster, until the rain was coming down in sheets. The wind picked up   
as well, battering them about as they walked. Soon, a huge storm was blowing; the wind   
whipping about their heads and the rain-sheets soaking them to the skin.  
  



	7. Out of the Rain and into the Madness

Chapter 7: Out of the Rain and into the Madness   
  
A few hours passed, then a few more. They all got to the point that if they got any wetter,   
they wouldn't have noticed. Finally, the buildings of what appeared to be a small city   
came into view. By their standards, it was a pretty big place, with all sorts of buildings   
and whatnot. The entire place was deserted. The group walked up to the hospital, which   
they found after about half an hour of searching, only to find a large, windswept   
CLOSED sign on the doors.   
  
"Damn it!" Jareth shouted. "Is rain going to keep you people from going to work?" She   
kicked the door once, which left a hole, but nobody was inside. "What losers. What kind   
of a city is this, anyway?"  
  
"We should find a place to stay," Holly said. "Standing out in the rain won't help us   
any."  
  
"Yeah." Genki agreed. "Holly's right. We need to find somewhere to spend the rest of the   
storm.  
  
"There's a hotel over there," Tiger said, gesturing toward a building that had   
ROACHLESS HOTEL written across the top of the doorframe. "They should probably   
be open."  
  
Jareth didn't respond. She just took Hare and walked over to the hotel. As her hands were   
full, she kicked open the door and walked in. The others followed suit, entering the hotel   
lobby.  
  
"Right," Jareth said to the confused clerk, "I want a room for myself, and rooms for my   
friends here. Got that?"  
  
"Erm… yes." the clerk replied.  
  
"Good. How many rooms are vacant?"  
  
The clerk checked his list. "Three," he said carefully.  
  
"Right," Jareth turned to the group. "Genki, you and Mocchi take the first room. Holly   
and Suezo take the second. I'll take the third with Hare and Zurath. Tiger can go where   
he likes, Golem, you stay in the lobby. Paladin, because you had the nerve to follow us,   
you can stay in the lobby with Golem."  
  
"I'll stay in the lobby as well," Tiger said. "There's a fire here."  
  
"Fine," Jareth said. "By the way, clerk guy? Where are we?"  
  
"Naxos," the clerk said proudly. "Most prosperous city for miles around."  
  
Most of the color drained out of Jareth's face, but nobody seemed to notice. "Thanks,"   
she said roughly. "How much do I owe you?"  
  
"Free for tonight," the clerk said. "I wasn't expecting anyone else, so… but you still have   
to pay for tomorrow if you stay again."  
  
The group went up to their rooms. Jareth built a fire in her room and hung up her heavy   
blue-black cloak to dry. She then took the blanket off one of the beds, folded it up and put   
it in front of the fire. She put Hare on top of the blanket.  
  
"Make yourself comfortable," she said to Zurath. "I'm going to see how everybody's   
settled in."  
  
"You've changed, Jareth," Zurath said quietly. "You're not the same person you were   
two days ago. What happened?"   
  
"I'm not really sure," Jareth replied. "I guess I just admitted to myself that I've actually   
got a heart. I hope they haven't noticed that much."  
  
"They still don't know you very well yet. They'll learn to understand you. Well, you'd   
better get going." Zurath changed the subject quickly.  
  
"Right." Jareth walked out of the room. She walked down the stairs and over to the   
window in the lobby. Tiger, Paladin and Golem were already asleep. Jareth stared out the   
window at the rain. The hours slid by. Eventually the clerk went to his room in the back   
to turn in for the night. Jareth stayed at the window, looking out into the night.  
  
"Why Naxos?" she hissed to herself. "Why now? Everything was actually… starting to   
fall into place. Just my luck that my past comes back to haunt me." she shook her head.   
"Oh, who am I kidding? I've got to face the whole story sooner or later." The rain began   
to thin out, and patches of clouds began to wear away. Making some kind of decision, she   
walked out the door. She didn't stop until she had reached her destination: the town's   
graveyard.  
  
When Jareth reached the graveyard, she walked unerringly to a small, neglected grave at   
the edge. She paused for a moment; then spat decisively on the grave as she stood before   
it.  
  
"Take that, old Gustav," she grumbled angrily. "You don't deserve to call yourself a   
Solaris, even in death!" Jareth kicked the muddy mound before her. "I should have killed   
you long before I did!  
  
"No…" she said after a moment's thought. "I shouldn't have killed you… you don't   
deserve anything as kind as death… after all… death is just an escape. You never should   
have been born! The world would have been a better place without you."  
  
She smiled mirthlessly. "And I wouldn't have been born either. And Moo would never   
have gotten so powerful. The world would have been a better place, Gustav. Why were   
you even born? But… no. You aren't my father, Gustav. You can't be. Never in a   
hundred years could I accept you as my father. Never, do you hear me? Never!" Jareth   
turned away from the grave, ashamed of her actions.  
  
"What good is it, talking to the dead!" she snarled suddenly. "You can't hear me, you   
can't change nothing! Why do I even bother myself!" she turned and left the graveyard.   
"A good rant always clears my head. I'm glad I did that."  
  
It started to rain again, but Jareth didn't care. She took her time getting back to the   
Roachless Hotel, even though her shirt got soaked.  
  



End file.
